I had a High School Showcase player hit 6 home runs on Saturday…That’s right…6…on SATURDAY. And he did this after we worked on one specific move that allowed him to be much more balanced and athletic in his forward move. JK touched on Posture in the stride in his 5 swing clogging moves, but I wanted to re-visit this concept with some video to really show how this can help your hitter instantly do better.

Tune in next week for my next article on how to hit the low pitch from this more upright posture. I’ll even release a brand new drill to the fans of Baseball Rebellion that, Surprise, is going to fly in the face of most hitting instruction out there. See you next week!

I cannot wait for your next article because I really like you guys but this is way out of left field.

Tilting early allows you to get your shoulders and entire swing on plane early. Miguel Cabrera probably does this better than anyone. Unless you are hitting off total puss thrown above your waist, you need to start your tilt early or you will not get your bat on plane in time to hit a decent fastball thrown from the waist down.

I appreciate that you are an avid reader. I hope you do check out my next post, I’m shooting the video tomorrow.

Tilting early works for large strong men. Cabrera would fit that mold…so would Pujols…2 huge ’tilters’.

I don’t agree that “unless you’re hitting off total puss thrown above the waist, you need to start your tilt early or your will not get your bat on plane…”

Early tilt is a power killer…for normal sized humans. If you’re not 240 and up…early tilt limits your turn and destroys your finish. Even if you are HUGE…it still limits those things, but those hitters only need the advantage of control that early tilt can give them as their MASS gives them all the power they need even with an abbreviated turn.

My experience with my middle school player supports Chaz’s conclusions about the importance of good posture. In his case, leaning in was accompanied by downward drift in his hands as well as “breaking down” of the back knee during his load. All of these movements were a subconscious attempt on his part to maintain balance during the load (not an effort to get at low strikes). He still managed to hit the ball hard when he made contact, but had way too many strike outs and pop-ups.

Anyway, he’s focused on improving these things over the last six months and I credit those efforts with lifting his batting average from the mid-.300s in the spring/summer to the mid-.400s this fall. He was popping up at least half the balls he made contact with in June, but now drives almost everything. During the fall season, he rarely struck out at all – only 5 strike outs in 58 plate appearances.

As for getting at low strikes…well, he honestly doesn’t see enough of those at our level for me to have an opinion on that, other than to lay off them and wait for a hitter’s pitch if you have less than two strikes. I’d say that’s probably the best approach until he gets into high school and the pitchers have more control. Getting better at hitting the count has enabled him to 14 walks this fall while still being aggressive in favorable counts, so is on base percentage is way up as well (mid 600s).

You are correct, many players do NOT land with their foot directly open to the pitcher.

If that’s the case…why do we teach that???

The answer lies in simple human movement pattern improvement. I think there is a reason players land closed…(that’s what they have been taught for years)…and they OVERCOME that part of their swings. Our most recent article talks bout the closed front foot vs the open front foot and there is a growing population of young players who are gravitating towards a more athletically correct and safer way to land when hitting. Opening your foot puts the body in a more advantageous position to create a fast and full turn while decreasing the chance of front ankle, knee, and hip injuries based on not landing in a a closed packed position in those joints.

This is the most ‘theoretical’ part of our teaching. It is less about what HAPPENS in games now, and more about what SHOULD and COULD happen in games which, I think, shift the balance of power back to the hitters, a place it hasn’t been since the steroid era.

Chas–

Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate different opinions and thought provoking ideas like yours. Keep them coming!

I see the benefit, can you show some pro players with their Chest’s up when they stride. Everyone I see from the front or back view is bent over at the waist? Maybe I don’t understand the concept but can’t wait to hear more.

I have 2 answers: first, from a biomechanical standpoint of creating rotational force, a more vertical spinal posture is more advantageous as it will allow more activation of the lat muscles and obliques as well as greater range of motion. Think a golfer’s posture and shoulder rotation range of motion when hitting Driver vs 9 Iron.

Second, We base our entire theory off of being smaller and generating power. Miggy is a great hitter, but his sheer size allows him to need less rotation to generate his force. Bonds, in my opinion, is the most talented hitter ever…so he’s an outlier as well. I want guys to have vertical posture to be able to turn better, that’s the bottom line for me. Better movement should lead to better hitting, and speed through range of motion is power. unless the mass of the hitter is so great that the range of motion/speed matters less.

Chase,
Great piece of information! My work with hitters totally supports your information on posture.
I would suggest to all those who would disagree with Chas, instead of arguing theory with Chas, instead: try what he is saying and decide for yourself. – but give it an honest try with a number of hitters.
Kinesiology teaches us that when any athlete breaks sideways at the waist (as when a hitter leans in towards the plate with his upper body) that both strength and speed are sacrificed.
PS: I bet you will also discover that breaking at the neck can also reduce a hitter’s power.
I love to go back to the older great hitters…watch guys like Ruth or Gehrig etc and see if they break at the waist.
Chas, I can hardly wait for your thoughts on dealing with the low outside pitch that my college hitters often face.

Everything you are showing is against how the top hitters have hit for over a hundred years. You can’t show a video of a great MLB hitter tall while swinging. They all have the upper body towards the plate. Stepping with a open front foot is a power killer as well as it allows the front shoulder and hip to open up early. Pete Rose was the greatest contact hitter ever and leaned over big time. Jose Altuve leans forward and is the best hitter today. What works for one player doesn’t work for another. The great hitters in the history of the game all lean forward. Don’t teach your method as the right way to hit because it worked with one player.